[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City of Rye 2-4-1942 as Art. 6 of Ch. 3 of the General Ordinances. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Unless otherwise expressly stated, whenever used in this chapter the following words shall have the meaning given to them by this section:
DRIVER'S LICENSE
Any permission granted to any person to drive a licensed taxicab upon the streets of the City.
OPERATOR
Any person owning or having control of the use of one or more taxicabs used for hire upon the streets of the City or engaged in the business of operating a taxicab.
TAXICAB
Any motor vehicle engaged in the business of carrying persons for hire, whether the same be operated from a street stand or subject to calls from a garage or otherwise operated for hire, except vehicles subject to the provisions of the Transportation Corporations Law or used by undertakers in carrying on their business.
TAXICAB DRIVER
Any person who drives a taxicab, whether such person be the owner of such taxicab or employed by a taxicab owner or operator.
TAXICAB LICENSE
Any permission granted to any person to operate or keep for hire any taxicab in the City.
TAXICAB STAND
Any place alongside the curb of a street or elsewhere which is exclusively reserved for the use of taxicabs.
It shall be unlawful for any person to drive, operate or keep for hire or pay within the City any taxicab without first having obtained and paid for a license to drive or a license for operating or keeping for pay or hire, or both.
[Amended 10-14-1981 by L.L. No. 5-1981]
An application for a driver's license must be made on a blank form furnished by the Police Department. The original application, which must have the approval of the Commissioner of Police endorsed thereon, shall be filed with the Clerk, who shall issue a license as provided herein. The applicant must file a copy of said application with the Commissioner of Police and comply with the following to the satisfaction of the Commissioner of Police:
A. 
First have obtained a chauffeur's license.
B. 
Be of sound physique with good eyesight and not subject to epilepsy, vertigo, heart trouble or any other infirmity of body or mind which might render him or her unfit for the safe operation of a public vehicle.
C. 
Be clean in dress and person and not addicted to the use of intoxicating liquors or drugs.
D. 
Be familiar with the provisions of this chapter, the vehicle and traffic and highway laws of the state and the traffic regulations and geography of the City.
E. 
Produce on forms to be provided by the Police Department:
(1) 
A testimonial affidavit from his or her employer.
(2) 
Affidavits of good character from two responsible persons who have known him or her personally and have observed his or her conduct for at least one year next preceding the date of his or her application.
(3) 
An affidavit by the applicant, giving such additional information as may be required.
[Amended 10-14-1981 by L.L. No. 5-1981]
Each applicant for a driver's license must file with his or her application three unmounted, unretouched photographs of himself or herself, in such position and in such size as the Commissioner of Police may direct, taken within the 30 days preceding the filing of his or her application; photographs shall be of a size which may be easily attached to his or her license, one of which shall be attached to the license when issued, one shall be filed with the Clerk and one shall be filed with the copy of the application filed with the Commissioner of Police.
[Amended 6-13-2012 by L.L. No. 4-2012]
Upon satisfactory fulfillment of the foregoing requirements, the Clerk shall issue to the applicant a license, which shall be in such form as to contain the photograph and signature of the licensee, with his or her license number thereon, which must be constantly and conspicuously displayed on the outside of the driver's outer garment when he or she is engaged in his or her employment. All licenses shall be displayed in a conspicuous place in the taxicab which is in the charge of the licensee.
[Amended 10-14-1981 by L.L. No. 5-1981; 6-13-2012 by L.L. No. 4-2012]
A driver, in applying for a renewal of his or her license, shall make such application not less than 60 days next preceding its expiration upon a blank form to be furnished by the Police Department. A copy of said application for renewal must be filed with the Commissioner of Police. The original renewal application, which must have the approval of the Commissioner of Police endorsed thereon, shall be filed with the Clerk, who shall thereupon issue a license as provided herein.
[Amended 12-4-1985 by L.L. No. 16-1985; 12-18-1991 by L.L. No. 31-1991; 12-21-1994 by L.L. No. 4-1994; 12-20-2000 by L.L. No. 17-2000; 2-1-2006 by L.L. No. 3-2006]
An annual license fee shall be set annually by resolution of the City Council before adoption of the budget for the following year for a driver's license or renewal thereof; no allowance shall be made for any part of a year.
[Amended 10-14-1981 by L.L. No. 5-1981]
The Commissioner of Police shall keep a complete record of each license issued to a driver and of all renewals, suspensions and revocations thereof.
[Amended 10-14-1981 by L.L. No. 5-1981]
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or permit to be operated a taxicab upon the streets of the City without first having obtained therefor a taxicab license. An application for a taxicab license shall be made by the owner on a blank form to be furnished by the Police Department, and a copy of said application shall be filed with the Commissioner of Police. The original application, which must have the approval of the Commissioner of Police endorsed thereon, shall be filed with the Clerk, who shall issue a license as provided herein.
[Amended 10-14-1981 by L.L. No. 5-1981]
No vehicle shall be licensed until it has been thoroughly and carefully inspected and examined by the Commissioner of Police and found to be in a thoroughly safe condition for the transportation of passengers. If, upon inspection, a taxicab is found to be of lawful construction and in proper condition in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, the Commissioner of Police shall endorse his or her approval on the application to be filed with the Clerk. Each vehicle shall be inspected each year by the Commissioner of Police.
[Amended 12-4-1985 by L.L. No. 16-1985; 12-18-1991 by L.L. No. 31-1991; 12-21-1994 by L.L. No. 4-1994; 12-20-2000 by L.L. No. 17-2000; 2-1-2006 by L.L. No. 3-2006]
Each taxicab licensed under this chapter shall pay an annual license fee set annually by resolution of the City Council before adoption of the budget for the following year as follows:
A. 
Taxicabs seating up to seven passengers.
B. 
Coach or bus seating over seven passengers.
[Amended 10-14-1981 by L.L. No. 5-1981]
The Commissioner of Police shall keep a register of the name of each person owning or operating a taxicab licensed under this chapter, together with the license number and the description and make of such vehicle, with the date and complete record of inspections made of it. Such record shall be open to the inspection of the public at all reasonable times. If a taxicab shall be disabled, disqualified for service or sold, the Commissioner of Police may, in his or her discretion, permit the license granted for such taxicab to be used in connection with the taxicab purchased in its place. Should the state license number of a taxicab be changed during the term of the taxicab license, such change and number shall be immediately reported by the licensee to the Commissioner of Police and the Clerk.
[Amended 5-6-1964 by Ord. No. 8-1964; 6-16-1970 by Ord. No. 6-1970; 5-1-1974 by Ord. No. 1-1974; 5-18-1977 by Ord. No. 4-1977; 8-15-1979 by Ord. No. 6-1979; 3-5-1986 by L.L. No. 2-1986; 4-21-1993 by L.L. No. 2-1993; 2-6-2002 by L.L. No. 2-2002; 6-13-2012 by L.L. No. 4-2012]
A. 
Taxicab zones. The following taxicab Zones A to C are hereby established as shown on the annexed map which is made a part hereof:[1]
Zone
Fare
A
$6.00
B
$7.00
C
$7.50
[1]
Editor's Note: The Taxi Fare Zones Map is included at the end of this chapter.
B. 
Maximum fares to or from railroad station. The maximum fares for taxicabs between the railroad station and points within the taxicab zones shall be as follows:
Route
Maximum Fare
Between railroad station
$6.00
and points in Zone A
Between railroad station
$7.00
and points in Zone B
Between railroad station
$7.50
and points in Zone C
C. 
Maximum fares between points other than to or from railroad station. The maximum fare between points within Zone A other than the railroad station shall be the regular fare of Zone A, plus $0.50, and between points within other zones or between other zones shall be the regular fare of the highest zone involved, plus $0.50.
D. 
Minimum fare. The minimum fare on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays shall be $6, and on other days between 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m. it shall be $9.
E. 
Additional passengers. Each additional passenger coming from the same location as the passenger first engaging the taxicab and going to the same destination shall pay $3.
F. 
Single passengers. Any single passenger who shall insist upon riding alone to the exclusion of other passengers waiting at the point of origin may be charged two whole fares.
G. 
Children. Children under six years, when accompanied by an adult, shall not be charged.
H. 
Rates per hour shall be as follows:
Service
Fee
Waiting time, shopping within the City, touring
$45
I. 
Rate card and Taxi Fare Zone Map. A card on which the above taxi fare rates are plainly printed and a copy of the Taxi Fare Zone Map shall be fastened and maintained in a conspicuous place in the taxicab so as to be conveniently read by passengers.
Every driver of a taxicab shall have the right to demand payment of the legal fare in advance and may refuse employment unless so prepaid, but no driver of a taxicab shall otherwise refuse or neglect to convey any orderly person or persons upon request anywhere in the City unless previously engaged or unable to do so.
All disputes as to fares shall be determined by the officer in charge at the police station, and failure to comply with such determination shall be a violation of this chapter and punishable as hereinafter provided. Whenever a passenger asks for a receipt, it shall be given to him by the driver. Such receipt shall state the name of the driver, the name of the owner of the taxicab, the number of the taxicab, the time when the trip began and ended and the amount of fare collected.
No person shall charge or attempt to charge any person a greater rate of fare than that to which the taxicab is entitled under the provisions of this chapter.
No vehicle offered to the public for hire, while waiting employment by passengers, shall stand on any public street or place other than a taxicab stand designated in accordance with the rules and ordinances of the City; nor shall any driver of such vehicle seek employment by repeatedly and persistently driving his vehicle to and from in a short space before, or by otherwise interfering with the proper and orderly access to or egress from, any theater, hall, hotel, public resort, railway or ferry station or other place of public gathering; but any such driver may solicit employment by driving through any public street or place without stops, other than those due to obstruction of traffic, and at such speed as not to interfere with or impede traffic, and may pass and repass before any theater, hall, hotel, public resort, railway or ferry station or other place of public gathering; provided that after passing such public places he shall not turn and repass until he shall have gone a distance of at least 500 feet upon the streets and highways of the City; and no person shall solicit passengers for a public vehicle as aforesaid, upon the public streets of the City, except the driver thereof, when sitting upon the driver's seat of his vehicle.
Every driver of a taxicab, immediately after the termination of any hiring or employment, must carefully search such taxicab for any property lost or left therein, and any property, unless sooner claimed or delivered to the owner, must be taken to the police station and deposited with the officer in charge within 24 hours after the finding thereof.